


A Very Legacy Christmas

by cordeliadelayne



Category: Poltergeist: The Legacy
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/M, Team as Family, making a family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-17
Updated: 2016-01-17
Packaged: 2018-05-14 08:57:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5737531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cordeliadelayne/pseuds/cordeliadelayne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The team race to defeat a tortured spirit so they can get home in time for Christmas dinner.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Very Legacy Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [spirited_lizard](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=spirited_lizard).



> Written for spirited_lizard, who wanted Nick's first Christmas with his family. Originally posted to Livejournal in 2011.

“Down!” Nick shouted, dropping to the floor and rolling out of the way as several arrows came screaming overhead.

“I'm nearly done!” Alex shouted at him and Derek. “Just hold on a little longer.”

Derek and Nick shared unbelieving glances; she'd been saying that for the last ten minutes.

“Some of us want to get back for Christmas dinner,” Nick called out, ducking behind a low stone wall. Derek crawled over to join him and they waited, hearts beating fast, to see what the angry spirit would do next.

The hairs on Nick's arms began to stand on end, so he knew that Alex's spell was starting to work.

Derek peered over the wall. “It's working,” he whispered.

Nick nodded. Just so long as Alex could keep up her concentration, the spirit of the hunter could finally be removed, and the owners of the guest house could get back to running their business.

Alex raised her hands to the sky for one final moment and then brought them down, quickly. The sky turned black and a flash of lightening shot down, momentarily blinding them all with its brightness.

* * * * * 

“Are you all right?” Derek asked, patting Nick on the shoulder.

Nick nodded, blinking rapidly. His fingers and toes still worked and his vision was quickly returning to normal, so he figured he was as good as he was going to get.

It began to snow then, large white clumps falling rapidly from the sky, not exactly usual for San Francisco. The temperature fell too, and now every time Nick and Derek spoke, they could see their breath begin to freeze.

“Is Alex okay?” Nick asked.

Derek shrugged and then rapidly went to check, Nick fast on his heels.

Alex was lying on her back, staring up at the sky. Her eyes were open, but unblinking. If Nick didn’t know better it would look like she was trying to make a snow angel.

“Alex? Alex are you all right?” Derek moved closer to her and gently pressed a couple of fingers to her neck. He indicated to Nick that she had a pulse, and Nick marginally relaxed.

“I'm okay,” Alex eventually said, voice coming out hoarse and croaky, as if she'd been shouting, when in fact the spell had barely called for her to raise her voice at all.

Derek helped Alex into a sitting position and gave her a hug. He brushed his hand through her hair and then planted a kiss on her forehead.

“You did brilliantly. I knew you had it in you.”

Alex beamed. “I just – opened myself up to it – like you said. And the power...But it wasn't, it wasn't something I needed to worry about it. It was pure, kind.” Alex laughed and shook her head. “I'm not really explaining myself very well, am I?”

“As long as you know what you're talking about,” Nick said with a smile. “That's what counts.”

He held out his hands to Derek and Alex and helped them both to their feet.

“We should make a move. This snow is getting worse, and if any of us actually want to have Christmas dinner this year...”

He trailed off as his stomach grumbled.

“I could definitely eat,” Alex agreed, patting her own stomach. The spell had called for her to fast since late yesterday and the thought of a traditional Christmas dinner was definitely making her mouth water.

* * * * * 

In the end it took them over an hour to get away from the guest house and head back to the island. The guest house owners had insisted that they came in for hot chocolate and gingerbread men, and then insisted that they take away some of the gingerbread houses their daughter had baked at school. They'd then produced a hamper full of wine and Christmas food and despite Derek's protestations wouldn't let them leave without it.

Nick had started to get restless after half an hour, but Derek's glare forbade him from saying anything, even though they were both just as keen to get going. Alex seemed oblivious to any sense of urgency.

It was worth the wait through. Once they'd stepped out of their cars in front of the house they'd immediately been surrounded by the other team members who led them inside to see the decorations that had been finished that morning.

Kat, as the eldest “child”, had been in charge of decorating the house, and helping with the preparation for Christmas dinner – particularly the Christmas cookies and popcorn now hanging from the tree.

Her mother, Rachel, was standing in the doorway, wearing an apron that was covered in flour.

“About time,” she laughed. “We were starting to get worried.” She gave Alex a long and assessing look. “Everything went okay?”

“Everything went fine,” Derek assured her. He kept his arm around Alex's waist as he helped her move into the dining room and Rachel winked at Nick.

Nick smiled back at her and then turned to envelop Kat in a big bear hug.

“And how's my favourite girl?” he asked.

Kat rolled her eyes. “Better than you. You stink”.

Nick made a face, but on reflection he probably was pretty sweaty after running around all night, dodging a vengeful spirit.

“ _Kat_ ”, Rachel said, disapprovingly, though she too was smiling. “Karen's in the kitchen, and she's not going to care what you smell like.”

“Thanks,” Nick said. He headed over to the kitchen, his steps feeling lighter already.

He found Karen sitting by the window, watching the snow fall around the garden. She'd dressed up for dinner and her hand was absently rubbing against her swollen belly.

She turned her head at the sound of footsteps and her face lit up when she saw it was Nick. He could feel his own face do the same, she always had that effect on him.

They'd only been married a few months, after an intense courtship and with a child on the way their relationship had moved up yet another gear. But Nick had never been happier in his life. He and Karen, though he hated to use the term himself, were clearly soul mates. Compatible in so many ways they were true partners; something that never failed to surprise him.

Nick moved forward and drew Karen into a long kiss.

When they broke apart Nick moved his hand down to Karen's stomach and felt a definite kick.

“A soccer player in the making, right?” he asked.

“Irish dancer, more like,” Karen grumbled good-naturedly. “She's hardly let up all morning.”

“She's just excited about Christmas,” Kat said, coming into the kitchen and reaching for one of the mince pies cooling on the counter.

“Oh, no you don't,” Rachel said, slapping Kat's hand away with a wooden spoon. “You’ll spoil your dinner - which is just about to be served, if you’re ready?”

Karen and Nick nodded. “I certainly am,” Karen replied. “I have to make the most of this eating for two.”

Nick planted a quick kiss against her cheek. “I'll just change out of these clothes. Won't be long.”

He raced up the stairs, past Derek who was coming down after changing his own clothes, and dashed into the room he shared with Karen.

They had talked about moving out, possibly to the mainland, but Derek had offered them a whole wing of the house for themselves, which had suited them much better. While not nominally a member of the Legacy herself, Karen's expertise as a linguist meant she was often called on to help Derek and Alex decipher ancient manuscripts.

When Nick got to the dining room he was impressed by how much effort everyone had gone to. Legacy Christmases were always special, but this time they'd truly surpassed themselves.

His stomach reacted favourably to the sight of food piled high covering the length of the table as he slipped into his seat next to Karen.

He might have had his doubts once, given his upbringing, and the dangers they faced daily, about bringing a child up in the Legacy. And he was still very much aware, in the back of his mind, of the niggling doubts that he wouldn't be a good father, or worse that he'd turn out exactly like his own father.

But Karen, and to some extent Derek, had convinced him that he was his own man and that he wouldn't fall into any of those traps.

“You okay?” Karen asked. She leaned in close to Nick, her hair brushing against the side of his face.

“Perfect,” he said, smiling at everyone around the table.

Whether it was with the S.E.A.L's or the Legacy, he'd long acknowledged the importance he placed not just on the family he was born into, but the one he made for himself. Every single person around that table was part of his family, and though this was the first with his wife and soon to arrive daughter, he knew it was one of many such Christmases in the future.

And he couldn't possibly ask for more than that.  



End file.
